The present invention is related to diagnostic tools and in particular to diagnostic tools for identifying failed sub-modules in larger systems.
Complex systems are typically comprised of a plurality of sub-modules. A failure in one or more of the sub-modules may prevent or degrade the performance of system. However, when a system fails it is not always clear which sub-module is at fault. To diagnose failures, each sub-module may include a plurality of sensors (e.g., sometimes, many hundreds of sensors). Outputs from the sensors are collected by a Built-in Test (BIT) system, and in response to one or more of the sensor signals being “out-of-range”, an error code (EC) specific to the detected failure is generated.
Based on the generated error code(s), a technician takes an “If . . . . Then . . . . Else” approach to diagnosing which sub-module has failed. That is, IF a specified error code is generated, THEN the technician replaces/tests a first sub-module, ELSE the technician replaces/tests another sub-module, and continues until the failed sub-module is detected. This is a time-consuming and expensive process.